


Grown

by catfishkid



Category: Catfish: The TV Show
Genre: Bless their cotton socks, Catfish - Freeform, I know what you did last summer, M/M, Romance, What happens in NYC stays in NYC, Young Love, teenage angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-01-30 02:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12643878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catfishkid/pseuds/catfishkid
Summary: Years before they begun to cohost a hit tv show, two adolescents spent a memorable summer finding themselves and each other.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Set over Summer 2002.

I.

His eyes. That was the first thing Nev noticed about him. He hadn't seen him in a couple of years, but he'd never forget those brown eyes. The way they'd soften or harden ever so subtly, the only thing giving away his feelings on an otherwise straight face. He didn't know him that well, but that's the one thing he remembered about him. Looking into them was intense and unnerving all at the same time.

That's how it had started, four days ago. Nev was home alone and he answered the door, standing in the doorway was the familiar face with the even more familiar deep brown eyes.

Max Joseph.

Nev had murmured his name ever so quietly, but the older boy had heard. His brown eyes softening as he greeted the younger boy. Nev suddenly felt compelled to ask him inside and ask him to hang out, but then he realised that Max was his brother's friend and he hadn't exactly been secretive with his dismay in the past when Rel brought his annoying little bro around to chill with them.

Nev told Max to call back later and with that he was gone.

Max never called back later that day. The days passed by and Nev found himself worrying he'd been too dismissive with Max, perhaps he should've invited him. He knew Rel would've been back in the hour, but he'd just panicked. What if Rel had invited Max round beforehand and Nev had just rudely sent him packing.

Why did he even care so much what one of Rel's mates thought?

It became pretty clear why the next time Nev saw him, a few days later. He returned home one evening to find Max and Rel standing in the kitchen laughing over a couple of beers. He was instantly taken by how good Max looked with a full smile on his face, how his greying hair suited him despite his age, how his blue t-shirt hitched up a bit whilst he leaned against the counter and exposed a small bit bit of skin Nev found his eyes drawn to. He wanted to apologise for the other day, but he just couldn't find the words.

Max and Rel both turned to Nev and said something to him, instead of replying he just mumbled something nonsensical and left, running upstairs to his room.

"Fuck!" Nev exclaimed, kicking his sneakers off and flopping back onto the bed. What had college done this year to Max to make him so attractive.

Sighing, Nev reached over and picked his guitar off the stand. Laying it across his chest and plucking at the strings absent mindedly. The last person he needed to crush on would be his brother's best friend, it was easily remedied though. All Nev had to do was avoid him, Max would be back off to college soon and Nev would be busy attempting his senior year at school. In the meantime though Max and Rel would probably be inseparable, the best friends attended different colleges and would undoubtedly savour every moment together like they did last summer. Much to Nev's frustration that meant Max being over a handful of times a week.

He closed his eyes and tried to get rid of the image of Max in his head. It wasn't even as if he was particularly close to him out of all of Rel's friends. Actually he'd always found him quite stand offish and condescending when they was together, the only redeeming quality being his eyes.

He turned his head lazily towards the door when he heard a knock. "Come in," he said assuming it was his brother. It wasn't though; it was Max.

Nev instantly shot up, sending his guitar crashing to the ground.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," Max said, eyebrows raised as he walked into the room anyway. He picked up the guitar and sat in the desk chair next to the bed. "Rel has gone to get some more beer, he said you'd keep me company in the meantime."

"Oh," Nev didn't really know what to say. He didn't expect that Max would choose to spend time with him unless forced to. He could've just stayed downstairs, but instead he was here.

"You're still playing?"

"Playing?"

"The guitar." Max strummed it and they both winced at the horrible sound it made.

"Yeah," Nev replied, he wasn't even really paying attention to what he was replying. His eyes were darting around the room hoping there was nothing too embarrassing that Max would see. He mentally kicked himself for not being bothered to take down the various Dragonball Z posters he'd had up for the past five years.

"How's college?" Nev finally asked, realising that a silence had fallen upon them.

"It's going great, thank you. Looking forward to getting the final year out the way though. How's school?"

Nev shrugged. He could've told Max how he hated the place, how he done his best to spend as little time there as possible and managed to cause trouble around the city instead. How he always felt trapped, couldn't focused and wanted to bounce off the walls, but he honestly couldn't help it. That was too deep though. Max didn't want to hear that and, like most people including the stupid counsellor he had to see, he probably wouldn't care.

"Okay I guess." Nev shrugged. "Like you, looking forward to getting the final year out the way." That wasn't a lie.

Max seemed to accept this and sat back in the chair, continuing with his out of tune strumming. Nev's ears couldn't take much of it though, he leaned forward and clasped his hand around the neck of the guitar. Then without saying anything he took Max's left hand and positioned his fingers over certain strings.

"Now try."

Max done as he was told and successfully strummed a chord that was almost in tune. He looked pleased with himself and kept playing it. Nev took the opportunity to take in more of Max; he smelt of tobacco, beer and a generic aftershave that every young man in New York wore. He never even realised Max smoked, not tobacco anyway. Not only was it greyer, his hair was longer than when he last saw him, it was beginning to curl which Nev thought was cute. And then there was the Nike sneakers, if he had to answer whether there was one thing apart from his eyes that Nev always remembered it was definitely the fresh Nike kicks he always wore.

"Dude, do you want to hangout sometime?"

Nev didn't know why he asked this. His brain hadn't processed the words as they slipped past his lips, he hadn't even given himself a chance to think about it. He didn't need to spend anymore time with Max that he had to, that's what he'd literally told himself five minutes ago. So why ask such a stupid question. Now he just looked like an idiot. He shuffled back on the bed, feeling his cheeks go red. He hoped that Max hadn't heard him over the guitar, but no chance.

"Erm, yeah why not."

"Cool." Nev smiled at the unexpected response. He smiled way to big for his liking. He tried to adopt an indifferent facial expression, like Max, but failed.

"So when?"

"Tomorrow!" First the massive grin and now too quick answers. He was eager though, so much for avoiding him this summer. That went straight out the window. "If you're not busy that is." 

"Sounds good to me." Max handed the guitar back. "Rel is working tomorrow though right?"

"Oh," Nev frowned, it was over before it had even began. "Yeah he is. Guess we can wait until he's free."

"No, I was going to say I don't mind it just being us if you're okay with that?"

"I don't mind."

"Okay cool."

"Cool."

"What do you wanna do then?"

"Right. Plan." That would help, Nev cocked an eyebrow and then had an idea. "We could take some photos. I've got this cool new camera I've been waiting to use."

"Photos..."

"Sorry, crap suggestion right?"

"Actually, I was going to say that's cool. I've heard you're quite the photographer."

Nev felt the heat in his cheeks rise again, but he managed to stay composed. "So like meet me here tomorrow at noon."

"Sounds like a plan." Max smiled and stood up, stretching as he done so. Nev couldn't help but notice again the way his t-shirt rose up and had to quickly snap his eyes away or be caught staring. "Rel should be back soon, I'll go clear up the mess we've already made. Feel free to come down and join us whenever."

"Maybe, thanks."

"Laters."

"Laters, Max."

Nev stared at the door when Max had left. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn't join them this evening. He didn't want to do anything to make Max think he was anymore of a goofball than he probably already did before tomorrow came.


	2. II

II.

Nev woke up at 6am. He was an early riser anyway, but admittedly this was early even for him during school holidays. He just couldn't sleep properly, the excitement and nerves of hanging out with Max kept bouncing around his head. He slipped out of bed and quietly down the hall. Catching his boxer shorts clad figure in the bathroom mirror as he went.

He suddenly hated how skinny and lanky he was. He tensed but there was more rib cage than six pack. Not to mention his boyish face and unkempt hair. He looked like an overgrown teenager.

He _was_ an overgrown teenager.

He didn't want Max to look at him like that though, but even his facial hair was dismal. The only physical thing that didn't scream 'too young' was the thick hair that covered his chest and that wasn't exactly something he could just whip out to impress Max with. He closed the bathroom door and skulked down to the kitchen then took the milk from the fridge and started drinking it from the carton.

He jumped when the kitchen lights were turned on and readied himself on a lecture about not drinking from the carton, but to his relief it was just Rel.

"You're up early."

"Some of us have work, what's your excuse?" Rel snatched the milk carton from Nev's hands and gave it a disgusted look. "Would it be so hard to use a glass?"

"Just couldn't sleep." Nev the waited for Rel to pour milk onto his cereal before taking one more swig then putting it back. He then took a seat opposite his brother at the table. "I'm hanging out with Max later," he mentioned, trying to sound casual.

"He said," Rel said between mouthfuls of Fruit Loops. "He must be really bored whilst I'm working to want to hang out with you."

"Fuck off."

"Language," Rel said sternly. "Why do you want to hang out with Max anyway? Don't you have your own friends?"

The right answer would be, 'not really'. Nev only had the sort of acquaintances that would hang out with him in school and then after summer complain they didn't meet up despite them not trying to once. Or there was a group of kids he used to roll with, but they were the kind of trouble he was trying to hard to distance himself from.

"Max is cool. He likes cameras and stuff, I like cameras and stuff."

"So do I, you never want to hang out with me."

"You're not cool, Rel."

"I'm offended," Rel exaggerated a gasp. "If I'm not cool enough for you, then I'm guessing you won't be wanting this." He pulled out his wallet and took out some notes, sliding them across the table. Nev looked at them with an eyebrow raised before picking them up. There was $80 all together.

"What's this for?"

"For all the times you're going to clean my car this summer."

"No thank you." Nev had sworn never to clean Rel's car for him again after realising how obsessed he was with it. 'Too much soap.', 'you're scrubbing too hard.', 'be careful with them windows.'. He handed the money back, but Rel just pushed it over again.

"Look, even though you're not grounded anymore we both know that mom still isn't going to give you any money after she found you with all that weed, you have no job and I know you blew your savings on that camera. If you're hanging out with Max you're going to need money and I don't want you doing anything stupid to get it."

"Like stealing or dealing you mean?"

"That's exactly what I mean, Yaniv."

He couldn't argue with that, he did have a habit of making stupid decisions when it came to not accepting he’d have to go without. He didn't like himself for it, but when he was in the moment he just couldn't help it. And even though he wouldn't admit it out loud he was grateful for having a brother that would look out for him.

"Thanks," Nev smiled sheepishly. "I'll take care of your car when I wash it."

"Good. So what have you and Max got planned? He mentioned something about photos."

"I thought we could just hang out and find cool spots to take photos with my camera."

"Sounds fun."

"Hey, Rel."

"Yeah bro?"

"Can I like borrow one of your fancy shirts please? I've outgrown all mine and only have tees left."

"For what?"

"For Max. I mean for today, with Max. Not for him specifically."

"Anyone would think you're going on a date. I'm sure Max won't be offended if you wear a t-shirt."

Nev frowned, most of his t-shirts were word out and faded or had some sort of logo or slogan that added to his immature look. "Come on please, I just want to look decent."

"You trying to impress him?"

"It's not like that," Nev said defiantly, crossing his arms. "I will admit Max is a good looking man, so like what if he attracts some mature female company whilst we're out and I just ruin it by looking like a twelve year old." Nev made sure he emphasised the word female, but Rel still didn't look convinced although he gave in.

"Okay, you can borrow a shirt just don't ruin it okay or you're paying."

"Thanks brother." Nev watched Rel clean up his cereal bowl and spoon, then the older Schulman brother ruffled the younger one's hair.

"Stop that," Nev said stumbling out the chair to defend himself.

"You need a haircut."

"Says you." Nev shoved his brother playfully, Rel had also decided to go for the longer hair look this summer.

"I look like a man." Rel made a show of stroking his beard. “You look like a girl.”

“I hate you.” Nev rolled his eyes.

“Look, I need to finish getting ready for work. Try and get a bit more sleep. You’re not going to impress anyone with massive bags under your eyes.”

“Whatever, mom.”

Nev surprised himself, he did manage to fall back to sleep. Not in bed though, but on the living room sofa whilst watching early morning cartoons. He awoke startled when the remote control fell and hit the floor with a thud. He squinted at the little green lcd light on the vcr it was nearly 10am. Fuck, that only gave him two hours to get ready.

He lazily rolled off the sofa and laid on the floor hugging a cushion. He felt more tired than when he’d initially woke up that morning, what sort of weird sleep logic was that.

“Ahh, he’s awake.”

Nev craned his head and watched his father enter the room. He stepped over Nev and opened the curtains. The light was painful to his newly awake eyes and he covered his face with the cushion.

“You really should go to bed when you feel tired. Sleeping down here all night will do your back in. Trust me, I know.”

“I wasn’t here all night.” Nev mumbled into the cushion. “Came down this morning then fell asleep. Why didn’t you or mom wake me?”

“She’s gone to work and with all the late nights and early mornings we figured it had all finally caught up to you.”

“I’m going to be late.” Nev finally removed the cushion and waited a second for his eyes to adjust before sitting up. His father was sitting in the armchair sipping on a coffee and skimming over the daily newspaper.

“For what?”

“Meeting Max at noon.”

“Max Joseph?”

“Yeah we’re just going to hang out.”

“Hang out?”

“That’s what I said, is that okay with you?” He said, his time of voice teetering verge of sounding sassy and genuinely seeking permission.

“I know what Rel gets up to with him, but your brother’s nearly 21 I can’t stop him, you’re still only 17 remember that. And the next time you’re in trouble you won’t just be grounded for a couple of weeks.”

Frustrated, Nev rolled his eyes, but he didn’t say anything. He just gave his father a sort of nod of understanding and made his way upstairs to get ready. It wasn’t because his brother was nearly 21 that he was allowed the freedom, yeah he was an adult now, but even when he’d been Nev’s age things were different. Their parents had bought Rel a car when he was 16, he was allowed out past midnight and he’d been allowed to drink at home and at parties if he was sensible and not driving.

‘Sensible’.

That’s why Nev got treated differently. The excuse was he wasn’t sensible enough, but how was he meant to show them he could be sensible if they didn’t give him a chance. In fact, he’d probably sneak around less and not be lured by the excitement of breaking the rules if he was given just a tiny bit more freedom. Life could be so unfair.

He took a nice long shower and pushed his teenage struggles to the back of his mind for now. 

He washed thoroughly three times each with different body washes he found on the side just to make sure he was extra fresh and he used his mom’s shampoo. There was nothing wrong with his own, but hers smelt like strawberries and who didn’t like the smell of strawberries. When he’d got out the shower and dried he wrapped the towel around his waist and stood in front of the mirror trying to decide what to do with his hair.

He settled on the gelled back look. In fact he used so much gel he was certain Max would be able to see his reflection in it. No time to wash it out though, perhaps he’d stick a hat on top. Before leaving he sprayed himself with his dad’s fancy cologne, so he didn’t smell just like every other young lad in the city. 

Next step was the clothes, he picked his chinos, red converse and from his brother’s wardrobe a pale blue Ralph Lauren shirt. It was slightly too big for him so tucked it in his trousers and done his best to tuck the sleeves under those of his leather jacket.

11:45am.

He’d made good time. Last night he already charged the batteries and wrapped his camera and lens up in a sweatshirt and packed it in his backpack. He was all good to go. With fifteen minutes to spare.

Fifteen long minutes.

If his mom hadn’t confiscated his cell phone, he’d shoot Max a text to see if he was going to be running late. Or perhaps he _was_ early and hanging around the block; not wanting to appear too eager to Nev, but that was a bit of the stretch of the imagination. 

Nev sat at his desk and booted up his computer, something that miraculously hadn’t been confiscated from him yet, and opened up MSN. He needed something to distract himself instead of counting down the minutes until Max arrived. 

There were a bunch of people online, most of his contacts were people from his school. He hardly spoke to any of them, he actually wondered how many of them that spoke online said more than two words to each other when they walked the halls. Online messaging and friendships seemed weird to Nev, he felt like the one of the only people his age who preferred real life compared to the cyber scene. Still out of boredom he’d log on to MSN almost every day and scroll aimlessly through who was online.

He was surprised when a new message notification popped up and it wasn’t from one of the few people he’d exchanged messages with previously.

“Mockingbird 5000,” he read the screen name aloud, it had a little yellow smiley in between the word and number and the display photo was that of a cute black cat.

Out of curiosity he clicked open the message and read that aloud too, “Hey Nev!”

Nev cocked an eyebrow, he wished people would introduce themselves first on this thing; how the hell was he meant to know who identified with a black cat.

 _‘Hello, do I know you?’_ He typed back.

_‘Kind of.’_

_‘School?’_ Nev typed out, then he heard his father hollering for him from downstairs.

Max must have arrived. He deleted his question and quickly typed out a _‘bye’_ and _‘speak later’,_ even though that was highly unlikely and shut it down before even getting a reply. He pushed the weird, albeit very brief, MSN encounter to the back of his mind and grabbing his backpack he practically flew downstairs.


End file.
